Over the past week, I have been thinking more and more about what I want to do on Oh She Glows. I have come to the conclusion that I want to write about the topics that I feel passionate about- body image, self-esteem, eating healthy, finding a balance, motivation- just to name a few.
For example, I think somewhere along the way I started to focus more on the number side of things with my workouts (e.g., distance, calories burned, etc) rather than how working out makes me feel, how it makes you feel, and why we do it.
How do I feel when I enjoy a good hike in the woods or after a run that doesn’t leave me feeling winded? How does it feel to be able to hold a side plank for 20 seconds longer than I used to be able to? Or climb 3 flights of stairs? Or train for my first race when I used to not be able to run more than 1 minute at a time?
And I don’t want this to be the case. I do realize that many of you find the details of workouts to be helpful, and I will continue to post much of the information, but at the same time I also want to focus more on the big picture.
Which brings me to this afternoon’s topic. Last night I was a bit upset about a comment that I got in the survey, I’m not going to lie. I am a sensitive person and things like that do hurt me. However, I take it with a grain of salt because we are all unique and we all have our different opinions. The amount and/or what I eat will not be suitable for everyone. Yes, I do eat a lot, and I am proud of that fact. When you have struggled for years like I did and suffered from low self-worth, low self-esteem, and poor body image, the ability to eat freely is a huge bright spot in my current life.
I don’t try to assume that what I eat will be the same amounts that you will need for yourself. I just show snippets of my own life and what is working for me! I don’t expect you to eat dandelion, green monsters, veggie burgers, or herbal tea. What I do want you to get out of OSG is a way to challenge yourself to change up your current routine and to try new things. Maybe for you that is getting a bike and hitting some roads or trails instead of biking at the gym on a stationary bike. Or maybe it is trying a class at the gym when you have been scared to for the past 5 months. Whatever it is, I hope that this blog will make you think differently about the way you view ‘static’ things in your life.
I received a beautiful email today that I knew I had to share with you all.
Hi Angela,
I am relatively new to reading your blog, but am loving all the different facets of healthy living you talk about: exercise, eating, cooking, body image and care, attitude, etc.
As someone who follows a few different blogs to get ideas on continuing my own healthy lifestyle, I really appreciate your honesty, especially with eating.
Your post from yesterday, about your snacks, was really good for me to see. I workout every day and try to eat very healthy meals, but sometimes I feel like I must be overeating if I’m hungry for lots of snacks between meals. I feel like I’m always eating (which I don’t mind, but I don’t want to overdo it either). I don’t have any weight to lose, so I’m sure it’s fine (in fact, my boyfriend is constantly telling me to eat more), but seeing your post about snacks helped to reassure myself that it’s okay. My body needs fuel if I want to workout and lead the hectic lifestyle I live (I’m a high school teacher). I eat before I workout every morning (4am), then have a bigger breakfast afterwards (which is at 6:30 am), eat a snack at 9 am to hold me over to lunch at 11:00 am. I then end up eating another two snacks, at least, before dinner, which is usually around 6 pm. Sheesh. Doesn’t that seem like a lot??? Anyways, thanks for grounding me in the fact that if it’s healthy food (which it is!!!), then it’s okay! Sometimes I need that reminder–and I’m sure many other young women need it too. I just needed to take the time to say thanks for being a great role model!
M*
I am so glad that M* emailed me and told me this. I think it can help a lot of people. It is easy to look at food blogs and think ‘Gee I must be eating way too much!’ and then feel down about yourself. I don’t want this to be the case on OSG. That is why I did that post yesterday because I realized that I don’t often talk about the snacks I eat during the day. I eat a lot of food that doesn’t get shown on the blog. Some days I am plain old hungry and when I am hungry I eat. I don’t deprive myself anymore.
In my reply to M*, I said:
It is crazy how women deny themselves with such basic things, isn’t it?
Do you ever hear the men in your life complaining because they eat too many snacks or have too big of an appetite! Not usually! It’s usually something like, ‘Wow look at his appetite! He eats like such a man!’ In fact, I used to feel a bit strange when I would eat more than Eric. And to be honest, many days I do eat more than Eric! Guess what? Eric sits all day at his day job and doesn’t workout. Guess what I do during the day? I exercise almost daily and I am often on my feet baking. Our calorie needs are not the same which is why we shouldn’t compare what we eat to anyone else but ourselves.
I used to deny my hunger for many years. After I began my road to health, I slowly started listening to my body.
You know what I finally realized?
Hunger is NOT a bad thing! If you are truly hungry, you do need to eat. There is no other way around it. I know, it’s not rocket science, but when you deny your true hunger signals for so long it can seem like a foreign concept, right??
This is what now works for me:
When I feel true hunger pains, I eat. There is no denial. Sometimes, it is trickier to discern whether it is true hunger (or whether it is dehydration, tiredness, etc) but for the most part my body does a good job of letting me know when I need some fuel. We need to stop denying ourselves and start listening to ourselves.
Our bodies are amazingly smart machines that are extremely efficient. It’s only when society started to put pressure on women (yes, men too more and more) that we started to have problems with eating disorders, negative body image, and the like.
Do you ever notice that people who don’t diet also don’t binge? My urge to overeat only stopped once I finally gave up calorie counting and denying my body what it needed.
I think if we started listening more and over-analyzing a bit less, we would lead much more content and full lives. Get back to the basics with your health and simplify what you are currently doing.
Your body will thank you for it.
How are you with listening to your body and hunger signals? Are you trying to improve how you listen to your body? Is it difficult for you? What works for you?
See you tonight for a baking recipe + how to!
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{ 66 comments… read them below or add one }
I really appreciate your attitude to food. It is such a wonderful thing that should be enjoyed to the fullest! I think your snack post was really important as well, so many young women restrict themselves with food and you are a great role model for what a beautiful, healthy, active woman eats! As for the rude comment about your snacks, I find there are always anonymous commenters on blogs who leave mean comments out of spite or jealously, especially when they can’t be identified. Whenever you are doing anything honest and unique you will always get a mixed response, and judging by your followers you have a very positive one for the most part! Keep being yourself and inspiring us all!
Such a night post. I just wrote about how big portions I was eating and felt bad about it! But you pointed out the right view, if it’s real hunger, go for it! :D Thank you!
M* (and Angela)-
I know exactly how you feel. I am CONSTANTLY eating and it feels like such a head game. On one hand, I know I need the fuel, but on the other, eating all the time makes me feel like I must be eating too much. I second your “thanks for putting your snacks out there”…food is not a bad thing. I hope we can all end up with good food attitudes!
I was always a three straight meals kind of person. After looking at some of your daily eats I realized how important snacking is! I think it is just so much more important to snack as it keeps your energy high steadily.
I really think that the mean comment was purely out of jealousy. You are doing a great job Angela and you have your loyal OSG readers to vouch for that.I mean you share a part of your life with us, the anonymous commenter should be bold enough to sign their name and then comment on others life. Just ignore the comment and keep up the good work!
So funny that you just left me a comment. I am SO sorry that you had to deal with a negative comment on your survey. I hope you never forget how much you’ve helped people just by sharing your journey. OSG was the first blog I ever read and you’ve encouraged me in so many ways. I can’t even begin to explain how much I appreciate the time and effort you put into this site. YOU are the reason that readers come back – try not to worry about those who don’t love it…they don’t have to read! :) Keep on truckin! I like your idea about going back to the basics…thats what got me hooked. Even though I don’t always comment…I never miss a post. :)
Have a wonderful Tuesday, sweet Angela!
Kaneil, balanceisbest
I’m sorry you were hurt by that comment. I think being on the internet people feel more removed and able to say whatever they want (I’m sure you learned all about that with you psych background!)
I appreciated your comment about how you eat more than eric. I sometimes feel like I eat more than James and it’s tough to see since he is a guy and weighs 60 pounds more than me!! But I also realize, like you, that I exercise and make it a point to be active.
I am a much happier person now that I don’t count calories. I’m glad I did it at first to help me lose weight and realize proportions but now I just enjoy my food. It’s so wonderful and freeing.
Have a great day, Angela!! :)
great post. I kind of found that exercising naturally made me focus on the big picture. I track distance and that is about it, and that is really for training purposes. Usually, I look at the distance and think, wow I am strong!
I am sorry to hear your feelings were hurt, but one reader out of thousands ain’t bad. I have to say, I am a little jealous that you can eat 2,200 calories (as you mentioned recently) and stay so tiny! I must be really honest and admit, I am also jealous that your body shows results so fast. Mine does not! In fact, I often find the harder I work out, the less seems to happen. So it’s a good think I don’t focus on numbers.
I guess my question is, do you think the fact that you don’t have white flour or sugar or much salt in your diet is the reason you can eat in healthful abundance and stay so trim, or do you think it genetics and metabolism.
xoxo
That commenter was just jealous!! You eat a LOT of DELICIOUS food and its awesome! That doesn’t mean you are eating too much. CLEARLY you are not!
My favorite thing about exercising and eating healthy is being able to eat a lot of food. It feels so good to actually be full and not feel guilty about it!
I just happily polished off a whole wheat tortilla full of black beans, roasted zucchini and squash, spinach, and tomato, with a slice of pepper jack cheese and hot sauce and it feels great! :)
I love the fact that I can fuel my day and my workouts and have so much energy!
I think its difficult to wrap your mind around eating in a new way, and exercising a lot; and its much easier to just be scornful of people who make the effort to put good things in their bodies. My family is like this and it is frustrating to hear my father tell me that I’m going to be in a wheel chair from putting extra strain on my joints by running- oblivious to the fact that the extra 100 lbs. he’s carrying around are certainly doing his joints no favors- and that the food I eat is gross. I think fried food is gross- so there! Haha. (I really do, it tears up my stomach and frankly, I’d rather taste what I’m eating than taste fried batter.)
Ultimately, that’s how he chooses to live his life and this is how I choose to live mine. I just focus on how good I feel to motivate me and ignore the haters! :)
I am disgusted that someone would criticize the way you eat. You are such an incredible role model. You eat what your body craves, you are SO healthy and active and everything I aspire to be. Some people just need to vent their own self-loathing onto other people. It’s so sad. It is almost comical to say “you eat so much” and what you eat is “disgusting” if you ACTUALLY read this blog. It’s impossible. You really are such an inspiration to me, I hope one day to be able to just eat what I know will nourish my body and not be fixated on calories and the scale. It takes a weak person to criticize others. They should look inside themselves.
i like your idea for this blog! i’m a bit surprised that someone made that comment. there is really no such thing as eating ‘gross’ and ‘too much’ since every body is different and has different preferences and exercise habits. personally i think you eat too much AT ALL. i prob eat more and workout less but i don’t think it matters. thanks for being so open and honest here, it is such a great site :)
This is an amazing post Angela. I love it.
Dear Angela. Please don’t be discouraged. This is your site- your blanc canvass to work with. When posting a survey like this one you always take a chance on someone being rude and insensitive but just think how awful that person must feel to having to dump it on you. I always think that when I feel like someone has offended me in some way- its their problem not yours. I’m all for constructive criticism, but lets face it- some people are just *insertyourwordofchoicehere*. Hopefully the reader will just take their blog-reading elsewhere.
You are doing a really good job here, and it shows how you pour your heart into it.
Best of luck and keep developing your ideas. I really enjoyed this post- I pop in here a few times a day to see a new post:)
People get ugly when they have the anonymity of the internet to hide behind. Don’t worry about it – you eat a fabulous, healthy diet. I find that many times I get feedback about my food posts and how the food doesn’t look that good…but my response is that I’m not a professional food photographer, and I’m hoping that people are looking at the content of the recipe more than at the quality of my food styling.
You’re doing a great thing by putting yourself out there and being honest and open about all of your lifestyle choices. Unlike the coward who made a nasty comment in your survey, you’re not keeping your identity a secret. You’re being your true self and allowing all of your readers to benefit from the lessons you’ve learned.
Working on hunger cues is an on-going process. Sometimes boredom, HORMONES(!), and emotions get in the way but I find that the more balanced I eat, the better I feel and the easier it is to control those cravings and differentiate them from actual hunger.
You are a beautiful person Angela – inside and out – I’m sorry that someone left a comment that upset you!
BTW – did you get the battery replaced in your foot pod?
I love how you pointed out “Do you ever notice that people who don’t diet also don’t binge?”. I can completely relate to that. I have tried doing Weight Watchers because they claim it is a lifestyle change but I hit a bad cycle of good for two weeks, bad for one. I like your philosophy about the big picture, and thinking that you are moving towards a greater, longer lasting overall health.
I love these posts! Keep it up! I get your blog at work so I refresh it and re-read posts all the time, and I always take something new from them, even if I’ve read it before.
I’ve been reading for about six months and never commented until now (shy! Seriously, I have social anxiety disorder to the point where I feel nervous even commenting on the internet). I have to say that I would be very intrigued to see what this person actually said: if it was along the lines of accusing you of eating too much then I think it’s disgraceful and that person should take a long, hard look at themselves before criticising others.
Your blog is inspirational, but also aspirational: you are ultra slim and toned without looking sickly, you eat so healthily it’s amazing and there is no WAY that you eat too much in a day. 2200 calories is not an excessive amount for a woman as active as you and quite honestly I’d like to give the commenter a good poke in the eye. They’re probably an idiot living on 1200 calories and screwing up their metabolism, abusing their body and feeling so miserable that they had to pick on a sweet, caring, BEAUTIFUL woman like you. Your skin glows, your hair is wonderfully thick and shiny…who wouldn’t be jealous!
And I’m a bit peeved by people above making the ‘how do you eat so much and stay so tiny’ comment. It implies that eating 2200 is excessive when it’s NOT and to my mind reinforces the negativity of the insulting survey comment.
Beautiful post Angela! I couldn’t agree with you more! After suffering with anorexia for 4 years, I know how the importance of listening to our bodies and learning to do what we feel is best for ourselves. Every person is different and has totally different bodies, cravings, needs, etc., and our body will always tell us what each individual, personally, needs. We just have to learn to listen. Thanks again for the great post.
I think anybody that leaves mean, nasty or unkind commetns on anyone’s blog is a coward. If you don’t like what the author of the blog is saying or promoting, don’t read it. No need to be rude and/or hurtful! We all do this to promote a postive, healthy attitude and to have some fun along the way. None of us deserves to be cut down for it!
Thank you for posting your snacks earlier. Sometimes I get comments on how much food I eat or that I’ve been snacking too much and your snack post really reminded me that I AM eating properly for my own body. It really means a lot that you are truly honest with your foods, which is why I’m so hooked on your blog (I’m a long-time lurker, haha). You’re really an inspiration!
Wow, this post is very timely for what I’m going through right now. Thank you so much for addressing this and featuring M*’s email. It’s so reassuring to see that others have the same thoughts and issues and struggles as I do.
What really resonated with me was the no diet, no bingeing comment. I used to be super healthy in high school, and I never counted calories. I just wanted to eat what would nourish my body the most. Whole foods. I mean, I would obviously look at labels and such, but I would never add up the amount of calories I was getting in a day.
When I got to college, I started to count calories. I think I put a lot of pressure on myself because I way away from home, and I needed some sort of control over some part of my life because I was so homesick and felt so alone. Not until I started couting calories did I start to binge occasionally. It’s really unfortunate because I always thought I was “stronger” than those who binged or deprived themselves.
I’ll stop rambling and just say thanks. :) Keep up your great work.
I think it’s horrible people were commenting on how much you eat. First off, everyone is different, and secondly, everything you show is healthy, so who cares if you eat a lot of healthy foods? You’re active – you have to eat a lot of the good stuff! Many people think calories are the enemy….in college, our nutritionist told us we weren’t eating ENOUGH calories (I was a college athlete). If you’re working out, you have to fuel and then replenish your body. Just this morning I found out from a friend that she burned – get this – 2,000 calories running a marathon!!! Obviously she had to eat a lot before AND after to achieve her running goal.
Kudos to you for sharing what you eat. Don’t let silly haters bring you down because you’ve got a lot of positive support right here.
Well said!
I’m definitly not at that point yet..although I wish I could be..I have many many years of feeling guilty to let go of..
No matter what size I was…in my house…eating usually made me feel guilty..With a mom who prides herself on being skinny (and wants a skinny daughter) it was hard.. and lead me to a binge eating disorder.
But as of late I have let go of some of these things and am learning that it is just going to kill me (literally) if I want to starve myself just to please others… I’m going to eat breakfast, snack, lunch, snack and dinner AND MAYBE even more snacks! and if that only leads to losing one pound every week..or every other week..then so be it…I’m in this for the long run and being healthy is something that I am doing for myself..not for anyone else.
With that out of the way.. I have added your BBBC to my website/blog because I’d like to start following it along with my other workouts :)
Wonderful, wonderful post, Angela. We can tell you put your heart into it, and we are so appreciative. Sorry I’m speaking for everyone! :) What you’re saying is so true…food is good and food is fuel. We deserve it! One of the things I have trouble with is determining when I am actually hungry…do you have any tips for that?
www. HelpMeghanRun .com
a million thank yous goes out to you for this post, Angela. Honestly – I can not tell you how much of an inspiration your blog is to me… and no, not because I love to mimick the exact foods that you eat – thats not why i read.. I read because i love the girl behind the food… the girl who drinks the green monster because she ENJOYS THEM because they MAKE HER FEEL GOOD.. for so long i lost sight of what it means to enjoy food and feel good about what you’re eating – and you remind me of that, girl. Thank you for this empowering and honest post … it helped me more than you will ever know.
all my love,
Jenny
I love this post and you are so right that everyone is different. When I first started running I was discouraged I couldn’t run 3 miles at a time. I realized that I am not there yet, and it takes time. I used to snack on 100 calorie packs and not be satisfied and not understand. I realized I was just feeding myself empty calories. I finally stopped counting calories and started eating whole healthy food when I am hungry. I think it is ridiculous that someone commented on your eating habits, you are very active and obviously nourish yourself with pure healthy foods!
I am really excited about the future of your blog! I love this post :) I put in the survey that my favorite part of OSG is when you write about this kind of stuff. I forget what the option that I picked was called, but keep it up :) Have a great day Ange!
Great entry Angela. After reading Eating Intuitively, my whole outlook on eating changed. It wasn’t a “quick fix” from the binging and depressive state that I was in this winter. But I kept taking small steps toward accepting my hunger, honoring my fullness, and not denying my body what it was craving. The small steps have really added up over the past 2 months and I am in the best state I have been in for years!
I’m sorry someone hurt your feelings! I’m super emotional too and take things very personally so I understand. These are my favorite kind of posts from you where you just write your feelings and are 100% REAL. (Not that you aren’t normally but it shows a more honest side) I love your blog and if someone has a problem with it then they should say it nicely or stop reading!
BTW I eat sooo much more than my boyfriend!! lol he always looks at me like I’m crazy.
I’m just another gal like you. And sometimes I feel like, geesh, all I get done doing is eating I must be such a pig. But hey, every day I’m riding my bike and walking and numerous other exercises and I’m just fueling my body so I can keep up with all that exercise.
I think there’s a unhealthy mindset being created in magazines with all these 1200 calorie diets. 1200 calories is made to be normal when really it’s abnormal. I don’t our bodies were meant to run on 1200 calories. I have to remind myself that all the time.
Keep that healthy appetite, your not the only one out there that has one!!! :D
Angela,
You know from my almost constant commenting that I absolutely adore your site. I love that you focus so much on the emotional aspect of things as opposed to the amounts of things and calorie counting. I absolutely love your site, and especially what a supportive blogger you are!
Oh my gosh. I totally agree with you. I become so frustrated with many women at the “all or nothing” mentality that comes along with eating. Most (or all) of the women I know believe that the only way to manage their weight is to completely restrict themselves from certain foods, and sometimes they eliminate entire food groups!
I often find myself needing to change the topic. I become so frustrated with the “diet mentality” that I just can’t even talk about it. Then, I have to step back and realize that not every woman knows that their eating pattern is disordered. In our society, we are raised and programmed to believe that diets are the key to happiness. I forget that not everyone has been through 2 years of treatment for an eating disorder, and not everyone has been taught to have a healthy perspective on the topic.
People are not taught to eat foods as close to nature as possible. They’re not taught to cherish the foods that they can obtain which have been grown closest to their own homes. They are not taught the danger of artificial preservatives and chemicals in their food. In my opinion, this is a terrible disservice to everyone, especially with chronic disease and obesity on the rise.
I am thankful every single day that I learned how to appreciate myself, food, and my body in such a way that I’m not afraid to feed myself. Eating what your body needs is not something to be ashamed of. Your message on Oh She Glows is one that everyone should hear. It makes me sad that the negative comment you received maybe caused you to doubt yourself. I know personally that there are times when comments like “you eat so much” or “you eat all the time” are very damaging.
You just have to find calm in the fact that you are happy, healthy, and feeding your body what it needs. Wholesome, delicious food!
I’m sorry this is a book…you hit on one of my passions. =)
Forget about that negative comment on your survey. They are just jealous. You are awesome and I love your blog!
Hey there!
Thank you soooooo much for this post! I just got finished with a six month battle of anorexia. It happened after a huge tragedy that occured in my life. I guess I just started to panic and it was the only way I could cope…that and over exercising. But through your blog and Eatliverun.com I’ve really been able to battle it without treatment. I use to only eat three small (like 100 calories each) meals a day and exercise for hours until exhaustion.
One morning I woke up…went on the scale and noticed that I lost 20 pounds in the matter of 2 months. That woke me up BIG time. I decided to be proactive and fix it on my own! Anyways…I could go on and on. But I just wanted to say thank you very much for being a role model for me. I recently became a self proclaimed foodie and I pratice a healthy vegetarian lifestyle now. I even started my own food blog and I love to cook. I think its completely stupid and silly to deprive yourselve just to be a size zero. If I’m hungry I’m going to eat!! I’m not perfect…at times I do want to revert to my old ways but everytime I see how healthy and balanced you eat..it motivates me to keep persuing a good wholesome life and stop depriving myself. Thank you sooo very much again and keep it up!
Maggie
Ha, I also eat a lot and sometimes think it’s hilarious how much containers with food I bring to the office and sometimes I wonder if I just eat too much, especially compared to colleagues who eat a lunch and no snacks (well, they don’t eat snacks they brought with them, they eat cookies and stuff…). But I workout a lot, I bike to my work and I am not getting any bigger, so I guess it’s working for me. So I try to accept I just need a lot of food (and most of the time, I actually am quite happy I can eat so much, buhaha). And I, too, often eat more than my boyfriend!
About the negative comment about (I guess) what you eat,; don’t worry about it. You have inspired a lot of people to drink green smoothies (and if that person would try one, she or he would know you can’t actually taste the greens…), and you made me want to try dandelion greens. :-) And since when are veggieburgers and herbal tea weird?! (Ok, well, they were, once upon a time, but not any more, right?)
i hate to break it to whoever commented that 2,200 calories is ‘a lot’ that it is NOT a lot of calories for a regular and active women to eat.
i am having some serious issues with social comparsion on the blogs lately. it’s making me mad and making me crazy.
I WILL NOT LET MY FOOD BLOG TURN INTO A DISORDERED EATING BLOG. And you should not let yours turn into one either (i don’t think it’s even close, just an FYI). asshole anon. comments who are PRESSURING us to basically developing eating disorders can suck it.
i’m having a bad day! LOL
I am confused, touched and horrified all by your post.
I stumbled upon your blog probably a little over a month ago and I have been hooked ever since. (Okay, lets be honest, i’m a bit obsessed but in a good way.Imitation Is The Best Form Of Flattery, right? Reading your post, seeing your pictures, videos, etc brings fresh ideas into my life.
I am not sure if someone implied you eat too much or too little. Since reading your blog I have never once thought you did either. I think you eat intuitively, listen to your body and lead a very active life. I also think you are a stunning individual–yes, you glow :) and what ever you are doing, if you are happy with it, keep doing it…because it is working!
I agree with the refocusing of the blog. You change as a person..your blog may or may not have changed with you. This site is your outlet, your domain. Approach it and portray it how you see fit and enjoy, not how you think us readers think it should be.
Okay, that was long.
Happiness Awaits
You eat a lot? Oh honey. I could eat you under the table any day of the week. ;-)
I think people might look at a big volume of salad or soup or veggies and think “wow that’s a lot of food!” but it’s like 1/2 the calories of the cardboard lean cuisine they’re eating that has two mouthfuls of food in it!!
I feel sad for the person who felt the need to try to harm you with his or her criticism. They must be hurting very much over their own relationship with food that they felt the need to bring some angst into your life. I hope that they are able to learn from your writings. Or maybe they just forget that the person writing this blog is a real person — not some reality tv star created for consumption and evisceration by the viewing public. In any case, their comment reflects on THEM, not on you.
Angela – THANK YOU for your honest snack post and for this post in response to your nasty commenter. It is so refreshing to see an active woman fuel herself properly. So often, magazines provide you with “what to eat” plans that max. out at 1500 or 1700 calories. For so long, I have been setting a mental maximum of my “allowed” calories at those amounts, which led to binges when I felt that I had failed at this perfection. This was ALSO when I was training for a half-marathon, which obviously requires more food.
Now that I can finally (most of the time) listen and heed to my hunger cues and my cravings, the disordered eating has stopped. I refuse to feel bad for anything that I eat and I realize that over a period of days and weeks, it will all balance out. You obviously have it figured out for yourself, and while we are all different with caloric needs and food preferences, I am so glad that you are candid about what you eat. Especially treats!!
This was a beautifully written post. Thank you so much for writing from your heart on this one. Everyone has different points of view and being healthy is different to everyone. Take those mean comments with a grain of salt like you said. I get the same ones and they really bother me, we are healthy yound women who are doing what is right for us, not for everyone else out there.
And I just want to say I love Caitlin’s comment. So honest and so true.
Happiness Awaits
I will never understand how complete strangers can criticize my beautiful, loving, GIVING blogging friends who share their lives with others. I have had so many dear ladies, like you, who I love, who have been hurt by this insensitivity. That “If you don’t have anything nice to say…” thing Mom always said holds true.
As for hunger, after years of trying to IGNORE that feeling, I’m still learning how to recognize it and feed it, and even more difficult me is know what is “I’m done” and what is “I’m full.” They are two very different things!
Keep up the good work, Angela.
Angela, I can’t begin to tell you how much I gain from reading your blog. You, singlehandedly, have caused a shift in my thinking to know that I can eat and not be afraid! Seriously. You set such an amazing example. Your kind hard and enthusiastic spirit radiate off the screen. I am touched by your warmth and your genuine desire to help people. It really shows. Don’t let one mean person get you down.
Love your blog, love your personality, love your spirit!
What’s not to love?!
I can identify with almost all of the comments posted. You are great! As someone else commented..you are an inspiration and an aspiration! I have gained so much from reading your blog. Simply put, the biggest gain has been learning to eat better in a non disordered kind of way, but there are many others. Your blog has been my “aha moment”. Something just clicked in my head when I stumbled across your blog. So, I hope the person who wrote the nasty comment on your survey will read all of these comments, learn from them, and take a long look in the mirror to figure himself/herself out.
P.S. I love your new ideas for the direction your blog!
I agree with Caitlin…you are one of the healthy ones here. Of course with the internet, you’re going to have people who are petty and comparing themselves to you in a good or bad way. They’ll say you eat too little, too much, look too thin, or pick apart what you are eating. But YOU know yourself better than THEY do.
It’s very obvious you are doing SO much good here for so many! Myself included. It helps me in knowing that there are STRONG, active women out there who love good, healthy food – WITHOUT it being labeled as ‘disordered eating.’
Keep up the amazing, inspirational work. I’m excited to see your blog continue to grow! :-)
As I was reading this post, the woman next to me at work looked over and said, “Amy, don’t be grossed out if I eat everything at lunch.” It’s so sad that women feel the need to apologize for being hungry and eating.
Of course you already know this, Angela, but your diet is insanely healthy. I eat all day long, and it’s made me so much healthier!
Angela,
I found your blog a few weeks ago and I love it! Even though I’m not a vegetarian, nor do I want to become one, I enjoy reading about all the foods you eat. I have even bought some Almond Milk to try a Green Monster soon! And…..I’m excited about it! Just brush the dirt off your shoulders and keep your head up. You can’t please everyone, but you can please yourself. Do what makes YOU happy because that’s what really matters. Keep blogging…you are an inspiration!
Stephanie
Oh geez. I’m sorry you were hurt by some dumbos comment. Good lord, what is wrong with people? I got one of those stupid comments last week about my eating style being a mask for being anorexic…..Clearly that reader doesn’t see how much I eat and enjoy food. How rude! Seriously, get real. I know it is really hard not to take things personally, but obvioulsy anyone who is a true loyal reader knows you are super balanced and healthy! Just like every normal gal you eat a few too many cookies, love a big green salad, and would prefer real food over nasty diet food. You’re a great role model! I love your honest posts because it makes the rest of us gals feel NORMAL too :) BTW…I totally eat more than Hubby does….he’s so flippin skinny too, but whatever…..I eat what my body tells me tooo….even if it’s peanut butter & chocolate :) I wouldn’t have it any other way :)
I know how you feel Angela, my eating habits are similar to yours. I eat 3 meals a day, a snack in between lunch and dinner, and a night time snack. If I skip any of my snacks I get hungry every few hours, so if I skip a snack I am usually starving before it’s time for dinner. I eat more often than any of my family or my boyfriend. I used to feel a little funny about it, but now I couldn’t care less. I’m glad you don’t care what anyone else thinks of your eating habits either!
Excellent post!
I found your blog a couple of weeks ago, and I really like it a lot. I’m sure it’s not easy to deal with negative or even hostile comments, but it’s just part of our lives and of being human. Don’t worry too much about it, you’re doing a great job, and you can be proud of it! There will always be people who disagree, whatever their reasons are – you can try to get out something positive for you, but then move on! The more people reading your blog, the higher the chance to get such comments.
Keep up your great work!
Woops, typo in my comment. Ignore the first “If I skip any of my snacks”
Keep up the fantastic work!
Jealousy cause people to be evil!
xo
Hi Angela,
I have been reading OSG now for quite some time and i absolutely love it – your attitude about food, career and overall life is seriously uplifting and encouraging. I’m so sorry that someone left you a negative comment; I understand how harsh words can hurt…but please, please realize that 99% of the time, when someone says something nasty, it’s because they’re jealous. I’m sure the poster who left you that comment is envious of you for many different reasons, and because they didn’t know how to express it, they left you with negativity instead.
I love the idea of going back to the big picture on OSG. It’s so easy to get bogged-down with numbers….to focus on the image at large will be fun!
Take care, and thanks for a wonderful website!
Ange, I think you have a great attitude toward food/eating healthfully! I realize it took you a long time to get there – you are lucky that you did get there, as so many of us still struggle with it. I starved myself all through highschool (fortunately not to the point of anorexia or bulemia) and still don’t feel like I have a healthy relationship with food (I certainly don’t deny myself like I used to, but I definitely eat more than I need to on too many days!) Be proud of what you have achieved!
You mentioned eating when you truly feel hungry, which made me think of something – do you ever suddenly feel so hungry that you feel nauseated? I find that happens to me often at work, almost as if my last meal just wore off all at once and if I don’t get something into me I’ll feel sick. It’s weird…maybe because I’m caught up in work I don’t notice the gradual signs of hunger and then it just hits me?
Awesome post Angela!!! I think the most important thing to remember is that we should look at blogs like yours for ideas, and not something to model ourselves after. It’s important to check in with ourselves and what our own bodies want before taking cues from an outside source. Keep up the great work, you are a top notch blogger! ;)
Don’t worry about what anyone thinks. Something you have shown everyone is that YOU are in charge of your life and you make the best choices for yourself. Don’t take things personally. Someone could have been tired or answered the survey as a joke
I am SO glad I found your blog, Angela!
You have (and continue to) inspire me to take care of my body, love it (the way it is NOW), challenge it, and nourish it every day.
Like you and many women, I’ve also struggled with my eating and body image in the past – at times I still fall into that mindset of counting calories and looking at foods as good or bad. I mean, this afternoon for example, I got home from work with a grumbly tummy and headed to the kitchen for a snack. I was really craving yogurt with some fruit but ended up having carrots & zucchini with hummus instead because it’s lower-cal. Does this make sense? How did you finally get past that?
Also, when you started running did you start out with small spurts of running mixed in with walking? I’m trying to build up to running and right now I can only run for about 2min at a time before I need to slow back down to a walk. I hope to increase that run time gradually, but I often wonder if that’s the way to do it or if I am just “not a runner” ?
Hey Angela. I’m a newer reader and I love your outlook and posts. I am currently on journey to stop counting and just eat healthy, listen to my body, and stop obsessing. Reading your blog has helped me to see that as long as you’re putting healthy, wholesome food into your body, you can forget the numbers and your body will be happy and healthy. Thank you for that and keep doing what you’re doing.
How could anyone say anything mean?! Goodness you can see how happy you are – surely that is enough to show that you are doing everything right. I want to BE YOU!
Angela- You are such an inspiration! please remember that you can not please everyone! Isn’t it ironic not too long ago people were critizing you for having an eating disorder and now people are critizing you for eating to much?! just ignore them and know that you are amazing!
You are such a good role model Angela!
okay this was a GREAT post :) I LOVE your blog! I don’t always comment but I always read :) After all you were my green monster inspiration! I love your blog and I think you should keep doing exactly what you’re doing :)
as for me I feel the same way about you! It took me a while to realize that you have to EAT to lose weight :) Thanks for your blog I love ittt
Your blog is great! Don’t worry about this random persons comment. Part of what makes you so great is your honest about your eating habits which not many people feel comfortable doing. There is nothing wrong with you or how you eat! Your obviously doing amazing or you wouldn’t have any readers. Keep doing what your doing:)
Great post girl – and definitely something we all need to remember!
This is a great post and such a wonderful example of how positive “food blogs” can be! I am learning to listen to myself more and more each day!!!! :D
Ugh I’m sorry someone’s comment got you down. Seems like you are turning that negative into a positive though! :)
great post! i know i’m behind again, but i’m trying to get back on track with listening to my body. my problem lately has been stopping when i’m full… but i think you’re right on about eating when you’re hungry and activity levels!